I find Alicia King’s article “Five Safety Tips for Yoga Class A Brief Guide for New Students - What to Expect During Yoga Class” very useful not only for beginners but also to not-so-new students like me.
I would like to highlight a few things:
• Unlike the treadmill, you should not have a bottle of water beside your yoga mat.
Reaction: Accident happens. In one of our sessions, a student brought water in transparent cup. Teacher Pio must have missed it so he tripped over the cup, spilling its contents. So as not to distract the class and avoid further mishaps, teacher ended up cleaning the mess while he continued giving us instructions for the asanas. Poor teacher, tough job.
• Dress in what will make you comfortable and most able to relax.
Reaction: Wearing garments that give our body enough support as we do all sorts of poses will do us more good than making ourselves attractive during yoga sessions. Teacher once gave our class some do's and dont's in yoga. Classic! I hope he delivers his "lecture" again.
• If you wear shorts, most yogis prefer to wear two pairs to avoid flashing anyone.
Reaction: Need I say more?
• You will want to be sure to remove all jewelry prior to class. It inhibits the flow of energy around the body. It can hurt or distract you, and could even be broken during practice.
Reaction: Just don’t wear or say or do anything that can distract the whole class for that matter. Be considerate.
